Film record cards and method of making the same



Nov. 11, 1958 J. F.1 ANGAN 2,859,550

FILM RECORD CARDS AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Original Filed Aug. 14,1945 QQMM ATTORNEY United States Patent O FILM RECORD CARDS AND METHODOF MAKING THE SAME John F. Langan, Madison, Ga., assignor, by mesneass'gnments, to Miehle-Goss-Dexter, Incorporated, a corporation ofDelaware Original application August 14, 1945, Serial No. 610,813, nowPatent No. 2,587,022, dated February 26, 1952. kglgtll and thisapplication July 24, 1951, Serial No.

12 Claims. (Cl. 40-158) This invention relates to the method of makingrecord cards adapted for mounting microfilm, still and motion picturefilm, and the like.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No.610,813, filed August 14, 1945 (now Patent No. 2,587,022) forImprovements in Film Record Card and Method of Making the Same.

In my co-pending application 592,981 filed May 10, 1945 (now abandoned),l have disclosed a card record system for the classification andcataloging of collections of microfilm, still and motion picture film,and the like. According to the disclosure of that application,microfilms, for example, are mounted in cards perforated for use withelectrical card handling machines, such as sorters, of types that arewell known and in general use in business houses.

The present invention relates to the method of making record cards suchas may be used in the record card system described in my aforesaidapplication, and which are adapted for mounting thermoplastic microfilm,still and motion picture film, and the like. Y

While the record cards produced by this invention are particularlyadapted for use in the formation of film libraries and the like, for usewith well known types of card handling, such as sorters, their use isnot so limited and they may be used, if desired, in connection with theformation of ordinary alphabetical or other card index systems, for theindividual mounting of transparencies such as result from thedevelopment of pictures taken on the so-called color film, or any whereit is desired to mount a film, or the like, on a card for futurereference. However, the greatest usefulness of the record cards of thepresent invention appears at the present time to be in record cardsystems of the type previously described. In such systems the films orother transparencies are mounted in apertures in the cards so that theymay be projected. In such cases it is desirable that all of the edges ofthe films or transparencies should be firmly bound and secured to therecord card so that they do not project from either face of the card. Assuch cards frequently are stacked by the thousands it also is desirablethat the means for securing the films or transparencies within theapertures in the rec'ord cards shall not add to the over-all thicknessof the card at the place where the film or transparency is mounted.Hence, an important feature of the present invention is the productionof a record card of the type described in which the film transparency orthe like is so mounted in the aperture in the card that the over-allthickness of the card at the place of mounting of the film or the likeis not increased to any extent whatever. Such cards with the films,etc., mounted in them present no projecting portions which may cause onecard to catch on another; neitherdo they prevent the cards from lyingperfectly at against one another when they are stacked.

More specifically, the present invention contemplates a mthpd f making arecord Cardhaving an aperture;

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therein, with the marginal portions of the card surrounding the aperturerabbetted or otherwise shouldered and a sheet of material extending overthe aperture and having its margins secured to the shouldered portionsof the card.

The sheet of material which is secured over the aperture and to whichthe film is adapted to be secured may have an opening in the centerportion thereof of such size that only the narrow margins thereof extendover the aperture for mounting the film, or it may be continuous. If thesheet of material is provided with a central opening, such as referredto, it may be of transparent or opaque material but if it is continuous,it should be of transparent material so that the film may be viewed bytransmitted or reflected light, or projected. The mounting sheet isadvantageously both transparent and provided with the central opening.

In mounting a film in a card having the mounting sheet secured over theaperture in the card, the film is placed on the mounting sheet, withinthe opening, and the marginal portions of the film pressed against themounting sheet with a hot die for a length of time sufiicient to causethem to soften and form a plastic-seal with the mounting sheet.

The invention will be further described in connection with theaccompanying drawings, but it is to be understood that such furtherdescription is by way of exemplification and the invention is notlimited thereto, except to the extent set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one end of the record card of the presentinvention with a thermoplastic film, transparency, or thelike mounted inthe aperture therein.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale illustrating the mannerin which the mounting sheet is secured to the card adjacent the edgeportions thereof which define the aperture therein;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, i1lustrating themanner in which a film, transparency, or the like, is secured to themounting sheet within the aperture in the card; and,

Pig. 4 is a sectional view, on a still further enlarged scale, showingthe film, transparency, or the like, secured to the mounting sheet andpositioned Within the aperture.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows one end of a statisticalcard 1 of a type now commonly in use in connection with electrical cardlhandling' machines. The card is of the usual rectangular shape and ismade of thin, flexible material, such as calendered paper, and has anaperture 2 formed Vtherein in accordance withp'the present invention. Inorder to best function in standard card-handling machines in which thecards are adaptedk to be used, and in order to leave an adequate marginof material between the aperture and the most adjacent edge of the cardso that the edge of the card will not crack or break on flexing, theaperture advantageously is one inch square and is positionedapproximately nineteen thirty-seconds of an inch from the bottom of thecard and approximately one and seven-eighths inches from the right handside thereof. The aperture may be made longer for accommodating a stripof film or a series of individual frames of microfilm or the like.

In accordance with the common practice the card 1, in the formillustrated, has the usual headings across the top, as indicatedgenerally at 3, and numerals 4 extending down the end of the card andrepresenting horizontal rows. The intersections between the columns androws are perforated as at 5 according to a code of the characteristicsof the film, etc. to be inserted in the card.

In order to provide means for mounting -a film, transparency, or thelike 6 within the aperture 2 of the card,

, a thin mounting sheet 7 is secured to onefaceofthe-cardin a manner tobe described. The sheet 7 may be secured either to the front face or tothe rear face of the card, but as shown, it is secured, to the frontface. The portion of the sheet 7 opposite vthe aperture 2 may have thecentral portion thereof died-out or otherwise removed, to provide anopening `8 defined by the inner edge of marginal portions 9 of thesheet, which overlie the marginal portions of 'the aperture and providemounting surfaces to which the film 6 may be secured. When the centralportion of the sheet 7 is removed, as just described, the sheet may beof transparent or oqaque material, as the marginal portions 9 would notmask-out much of the matter depicted on the film, whether viewed byreflected or transmitted light, or projected. If the central portion ofthe sheet 7 is not removed, the sheet should be of some thin, clear,transparent material, such as cellulose acetate, cellophane or the like,although I prefer to use thin, clear, transparent sheets of celluloseacetate, particularly where the films to be mounted in the apertures inthe cards areof cellulose acetate, as it forms a better bond with thecellulose acetate of the film, and also will form a good bond with thecard 1, in the manner hereinafter described. Also, it is tough andstrong, and enables the entire film, transparency, or the like, to beviewed'or projected. However, the` sheet 7 may be of any other materialpossessing generally similar characteristics, or even of opaquethermoplastic material, if the central portion thereof is removed.

The card 1 advantageously is rabbetted or otherwise shouldered, as shownat 11, to a'depth substantially equal to the thickness of the sheet 7,to provide surfaces to which the outer -margins of the sheet may besecured by an adhesive or plastic bond, so that when the sheet isattached to the card, the upper surface thereof will lie substantiallyin the plane of the adjacent surface of the card.

The outer marginal portions of the sheet 7 may be secured to theshoulders 11 in any desired manner, but I prefer to secure them to theshoulders by means of a plastic seal, vin which case, sheet 7 may be ofcellulose acetate or some other suitable thermoplastic material.Advantageously, the shoulders 11 may be formed in the marginal portionsof the card surrounding the aperture 2, and the sheet of thermoplasticmaterial 7 simultaneously secured to them with a plastic seal. Onemethod of so simultaneously forming the shoulders and securing thethermoplastic sheet to them, is illustrated in Fig. 2. `In accordancewith that method, a card having the aperture 2 formed therein is placedon an anvil or support 13, Ywith its front face upwards, and the sheet 7of the transparent, thermoplastic materialplaced on the outer surface(the frontface) of the card'with its marginal portions overlying themarginal portions of the card surrounding the aperture 2 therein.Suitable guides may be used to properly position the cards on the anvilor support 13 and to center the sheet 7 over the apertures in the cards.A die 14 having edge portions heated by means of an electric coil 15, orotherwise, is thenpressed down against the overlying-sheet 7 withsuicient force to press the edge portions of the sheet 7 into the uppersurface of the card a distance equal to the thickness of the sheetmaterial, so that its upper,l or outer surface, lies in the plane oftheadjacent or upper surface of the card.

'After the sheet 7 has been thus pressed into thecard, the die 14 isheld against the sheet 7 for a length of time suicient for the heatededge portions thereof to soften the marginal portions of the sheet 7 andcause a plastic seal to he formed between such portions of the sheet andthe shouldered portions of the card surrounding the aperture. Thus, themarginal portions of the sheet are rmly bonded to the shoulderedmarginal portions of the card and a smooth,` continuous outer surface ispresented.

The die 14 should have a smooth,.planar, lowersurface to engage theupper surface ofthe sheet 7. Howevenas itis advantageous .not to heat orsoften any portions of the sheet 7 other than those portions overlyingthe shouldered portions of the card surrounding the aperture therein,the central portion 16 of the lower face of the die is heat-insulated byheat insulation 17 from the heated edge portions of the die. Thus, thecentral portion 16 is not heated sufficiently to soften the underlyingportions of the thermoplastic sheet during the sealing and bonding ofthe marginal portions of the sheet to the shouldered portions of thecard. Instead of providing the heat insulated central portion 16 of thedie, the lower face of the die may be concaved so that only the edgeportions thereof engage the sheet.

The margins of the sheet 7 may overlie the portions of the cardsurrounding the aperture 2 to the extent of about one-eighth inch, as anoverlie of that amount is adequate for forming a satisfactory plasticseal or bond with the card.

The thickness of the cards commonly used in electrical card-handlingmachines is 0.0067 inch. I prefer to use cards made from slightlyheavier stock, such as calendered stock 0.0075 inch thick. Thus, eventhough the marginal portions of the card surrounding the aperture 2 mayhave their thickness reduced by the shouldering operation, the thicknessof such portions still is at least equal to the thickness of the film 6which is to be mounted in the aperture, as such films ordinarily are.0055 inch thick. Thus, when a lm is mounted in the aperture, ashereinafter described, the film will lie wholly between the planes ofthe outer surfaces of the card.

If it is desired to remove the central portion of the sheet 7 oppositethe aperture 2, it is died-out, or otherwise removed, advantageouslyafter the sheet has been secured to the card, as in the manner describedabove, to provide the opening S. When the central portion of the sheetis so removed, a sufhcient portion of the sheet is retained so that themarginal portions 9 will be about one-eighth inch wide all around theaperture. Margins of such Width provide adequate mounting surface forthe film 6, while presenting relatively narrow portions to eX- tend overthe film.

The cards having the mounting sheet 7 secured vthereto may be sold inquantity to those desiring to mount film, transparencies, or the like,in them, or those desiring to mount the films, etc., in the cards maysecurethe mounting sheets 7 to the cards in the manner described.

In accordance with the present invention, the lm `6 is mounted onto theinner surfaces of the inner marginal portions 9 of the sheet 7, in amanner similar to that in which the outer marginal portions of the sheet7 were bonded to the marginal portions of the card surrounding'l Thus,when it is desired to mount a film 6 the aperture. within the aperture2, the card, with the sheet 7 secured thereto in the manner described,may be placed face down on an anvil 18, as shown in Fig. 3, and the film6 then inserted within the aperture 2 and onto the inner or uppersurface of the marginal portions 9 of the sheet 7. With the film thus inplace within the aperture, a die 19 having edge portions heated by anelectrical coil 2|), or otherwise, is then pressed against the marginalportions of the upper surface of the film 6 for a length of timesufficient to cause the film 6 to soften at the interface with themarginal portions 9 of the sheet 7 and a direct plastic seal or bondformed between the lm and the marginal portions 9 of the sheet 7. Othersuitable apparatus adapted for use in heat-sealing the sheet 7 to card 1and lm 6 to sheet 7 is disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No.110,692, filed August 17, 1949 for "Film Record Cards and Method andApparatus for Their.

?roduction.

The-temperature to which the marginal portions of thedie 14 are heatedwill depend upon the temperature cient softening of the marginalportions of the sheet to cause a good plastic seal or bond to be formedWith the card. Higher or lower temperatures may be used, particularlywhen the sheet is formed from other thermoplastic materials. Likewise,the temperature to which the edge portions of the die 19 are heated willdepend upon the temperature at which the composition of the lm 6 softenssufficiently to form a direct plastic seal with the marginal portions 9of the sheet 7, or the composition of the sheet 7 softens to form adirect plastic seal or bond at the interface with the film 6, thematerial of the film adhering directly to material of the sheet. lf boththe film and the sheet are of cellulose acetate a temperature in themarginal portions of the die 19 of about 280 F. is adequate to cause asoftening of one or both of the film 6 and marginal portions 9 at theinterface to cause the plastic seal to be formed. However, as in thecase of the die 14, higher or lower temperatures may be used,particularly if the film 6 is formed from some other thermoplasticmaterial than cellulose acetate.

In forming the plastic seal or bond between the marginal portions of thefilm 6 and the marginal portions 9 of the sheet 7 care should be takennot to heat the central portion of the film 6 to a temperaturesufficient to cause it to soften or to affect any emulsion thereon. Thusthe die 19 should either have a concaved lower face, as shown at 21 inFig. 3, or should be provided with a heat-insulated central portion,similar to the heat-insulated central portion 16 of the die 14.

From the foregoing description, it readily will be seen that the presentinvention provides for easily and quickly securing films, etc., tomounting cards with or without the use of adhesives and in a manner suchthat the film and mounting means therefor are containedl wholly withinthe planes of the opposite faces of the card, so that the overallthickness of the card, the film, and the mounting means therefor is nogreater at any place than the thickness of the card itself.

The lm 6 may be microfilm of accounting records, reports orcorrespondence, microfilms of maps, drawings, and the like, strips orframes from motion picture films, still picture films, or the like. Itmay be formed of cellulose acetate, or any other sufiicientlytransparent cellulose derivatives, regenerated cellulose, resin, orother material which is thermoplastic, or which has thermoplasticmargins which may be heat-sealed to the shoulders 11 in the mannerpreviously described.

As the overall thickness of the card at the place where the films aremounted is no greater than the thickness of the cards at other places,and as the edges of the film are firmly bound and secured within theaperture of the card, the cards with the films mounted in them may bestacked and handled in the usual card-handling machines, in the samemanner as cards Without films so mounted in them.

While the present invention is particularly adapted for the mounting ofthermoplastic films and other transparencies which may be projected, itis not so limited and contemplates the mounting of paper, cardboard orother pictures, or the like, the margins of which have been renderedthermo-plastic by a coating of thermo-plastic material, or otherwise.Hence, in the appended claims the word film is used in a broad sense tocover such pictures as well as films madeentirely of cellulosederivatives, regenerated cellulose, resins and the like.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of mounting a film in a cardhaving an aperturetherethrough, which consists in applying a transparent thermoplasticsheet to the card and across said aperture, and then securing the filmto that portion of the transparent sheet exposed in said aperture by adirect plastic bond between the materials of said lm and sheet.

2. The method of mounting a film in a card having an aperturetherethrough, which consists in applying a transparent sheet ofthermoplastic material to the card and across said aperture, and ,thensecuring the marginal portions of the film to that portion ofthetransparent sheet exposed in said aperture by a direct plastic bondbetween the materials of said film and sheet.

3. The method of mounting a thermoplastic film in a card having anaperture therethrough, which consists in applying a sheet ofthermoplastic material to the card and across said aperture, placing thefilm in said aperture, and then applying heat and pressure to themarginal portions of said film to effect a direct plastic bond betweensaid marginal portions of the film and that portion of the thermoplasticsheet exposed in said aperture.

4. The method of mounting a thermoplastic lm in a card having anaperture therethrough, which consists in securing a thermoplastic sheetto the card and across said aperture, dieing out a central portion ofthat portion of the sheet exposed in said aperture, placing a film insaid aperture in engagement with said sheet, and applying heat andpressure to effect a direct plastic bond between the marginal portionsof the film and the remaining portion of the sheet exposed in saidaperture. Y

5. A film record card havingv an aperture therein, a sheet ofthermoplastic material extending over the aperture and having itsmarginal portions secured to the marginal portions of the card aroundsaid aperture, and a film within said aperture plastic-sealed to saidsheet by direct adherence of the material of the film to the material ofthe sheet.

6. A film record card as defined in claim 5 wherein a central portion ofthat portion of the sheet exposed in said aperture is removed.

7. A fihn record card having an aperture therein, a transparentthermoplastic sheet extending over the aperture and having its marginalportions secured to the mar ginal portions of the card around theaperture, and a film of thermoplastic material within said aperture andsecured at the marginal portions thereof to said sheet by a directplastic bond between the materials of the film and the sheet.

8. The method of mounting a film on a record card having an aperturetherein, which comprises securing a sheet of thermoplastic material oversaid aperture at one face of the card, placing the film on said sheet ofmaterial within the aperture, and plastic-sealing the film directly tosaid sheet by the application of pressure and heat sufiicient to softenat least one of said film and sheet.

9. The method of mounting a thermoplastic film within the aperture of arecord card having an aperture therein, which comprises securing a sheetof thermoplastic material over the aperture at one face of the card,placing the film on said sheet within the aperture, and pressing thefilm and sheet against one another with a heated die for a length oftime sufficient to effect a direct plastic bond between the materials ofthe film and sheet.

10. The method as defined in claim 9 wherein the heat and pressure areconfined to the marginal portions of the film.

11. The method of mounting a thermoplastic film in a card having anaperture therethrough, which comprises applying a sheet of thermoplasticmaterial to the card and across said aperture, placing the film in saidaperture, and then pressing said sheet and the marginal portion of saidfilm together While heating the same to effect a direct bonding of thefilm to the sheet.

12. The method as defined in claim 11 which includes the step of dieingout a central portion of that portion ofthe sheet exposed in saidaperture, said died out portion being smaller than the film.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS lSTAGES-iPATENTsy 2,343,117 Barman Mar. 24, 1925- 2,512,106 Elliott July12,` 1932 25371022 George July 11, 1939 2,588,057 Monro et a1. May 21,1940 5 2'612711 MacHarg Sept. 16, 1941 3 Vincent Feb. 29, 1944 Langan 2.June 20, 1950 Langan Feb. 26, 1952 Whitehead Mar. 4, 1952 Baker Oct. 7,1952

